Label activator



Oct. 9; 1962 w. KLAMP 3,057,987

LABEL ACTIVATOR Filed June 5, 1959 IN VEN TOR. H6 2 W/a/AM KLA/4P WW l I /f/ l gamma m Il ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ohce 3,057,987 LABEL ACTIVATOR William Klamp, Rocky River, Qhio, assiguor to Cleveland Detroit Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 3, 1959, Ser. No. 817,911 1t) Claims. (Cl. 219-19) This invention relates to label activating devices, and more particularly to such a device in which a heating element is utilized to activate labels having thermoactivated adhesives, and in which the label to be activated is held in position on a heated surface by a vacuum or flow of air through openings in that surface.

It is an object of this invention to provide an efficient and long-lived label activator of the above-mentioned character which overcomes a number of operating and upkeep problems which have heretofore presented themselves as obstacles to the attainment of an eilcient and practical label activating device. Among the problems of upkeep and operation inherent in the prior art devices which utilize a heated plate or grid through which air is drawn lby a vacuum producing means, such as a blower, to retain the label in position, is the inordinately high wattage operating level of the heating element which is required to offset the cooling effect of the air passing through openings in the heated plate or grid. Not only is the rate of electric power consumption excessive, but also the high capacity heating elements must operate at a relatively high surface temperature to maintain the plate or grid at the proper temperature and rise to an even higher temperature following the shutdown of the device because the blower, and the flow induced thereby, stop almost immediately while the heating element continues to give off heat. The relative high temperatures of the elements or element result in a greatly reduced worldng life of the heating element.

Another problem encountered in prior art devices, and overcome by the present invention, is the progressively reduced etliciency of the air ilow inducing blower caused by `a build-up of dust and other foreign matter on the blades and in the housing and passages thereof. The resultant reduction in air flow effects a consequent loss in label retaining power and also permits the heating plate or grid to operate at a higher temperature than is economically prudent in that it substantially shortens the life of the heating elements, adding measurably to the cost of upkeep and repair as well as taking the machine out of profit producing service.

ilt is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new yand novel label actuating device or mechanism which utilizes a heating element in association with a plate-like member having a label supporting surface and having :openings therethrough for the passage of la label retaining air ilow, in which the wattage requirement of the heating element is materially reduced from that heretofore, required, as well as the surface temperature at which the heating element must operate to provide sufiicient heat iiow to maintain the plate-like member for `activating the label yat proper activating temperature, enabling a lower wattage heating element to be utilized or the operation of an element rated at higher wattage below its capacity, providing increased life and also reserve heating power which can be utilized during heatup periods and which is available when otherwise needed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved label activator having activator plate means on which a label can be held by suction produced by a blower, and which includes ltering material for filtering the air moving from the activator plate means to the blower, and which is so constructed and arranged 3,057,987 Patented Oct. 9, 1962 that the iiltering material is effectively self-cleaned during the normal operation of the label activator.

As another object the invention aims to provide `a novel label activator of the above-mentioned character having a heating element for heating a plate-like member upon one side of which labels are retained for activation by `air owing through openings therein, and having porous filtering material adjacent the other side of the plate-like member, the filter material serving to trap foreign matter from the air, and also serving as an air diffusor acting to impede transverse air ow between the openings whereby the conditions of air ow yand pressure in any one of the openings is substantially independent of the conditions in the .remaining openings, by reason of which labels may be retained on the platelike member with air flow of substantially less volume than has been required heretofore and through the use of a considerably smaller and less expensive blower. The reduced air ow and diffusing iilter material serve also to prevent large variation-s in heat dissipation during shutdown or between label applications, thereby allowing the effective use of the low wattage heating elements which enjoy an extended life.

Additionally, it is an object of this invention lto provide a device for conducting an air ow induced by a blower and having therein a porous filter material for trapping foreign matter from the air ilow, and including a heater element adjacent the ilter which is adapted to heat the filter to a temperature high enough to burn out the foreign matter trapped therein without damaging the lter itself, the filter being of -a material which may be subjected to such a temperature without undergoing any substantial change in its physical properties.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description lof that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the -accompanying drawings, in which:

lFIG. l is a plan view of a label activating device embodying the invention, certain portions being broken away to better illustrate the invention, and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the same, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

The label activating device 10 illustrated herein comprises a casing indicated generally at 11 and having a blower compartment or air chest 12 and a motor compartment 13. The top wall of the blower compartment or air chest 12 comprises means defining a plate-like member 15 having a plurality of discrete openings 16 therethrough adapted to pass air from the outer side thereof to the inner side thereof.

The plate-like member 15 is conveniently formed of two plates 18, 19 superimposed on one another and each being relieved to receive an electric heating element 20 sandwiched therebetween. In this instance, the heating element 2th is illustrated as a resistance unit having a series of bends; however, it will be apparent that any desired shape of element, or separate elements, may be used. The element 20 serves to heat the plate-like member 15 to activate a thermoactivatable label L in a manner later described, and is under the control of a thermostatic control unit 21 which senses the temperature of the member l5.

A blower or squirrel cage fan 22 is located within the compartment 12 and has its intake opening or connection 23 in communication with the compartment 12, and its exhaust conduit 24 opening at 25 through a side wall 26 of the compartment 12. A protective piece of screen or wire cloth 28 is advantageously provided over the opening 25.

In accordance with the invention I have provided a porous filter 30 adjacent to the plate-like member 15 where it is conveniently supported by a ledge 31 formed of yan angle or the like secured to the casing 11. As ris illustrated in FIG. Z, the filter 30 is disposed directly against the plate-like member 15 and extends across the openings 16.

In use the device may be supported by a bracket engaged in a mounting 33 provided for that purpose, or on a suitable table top by cushioning feet 34.

The blower is preferably driven by a brushless electric motor 35 housed in the compartment 13 having Ventilating openings 36 in the walls thereof, the motor shaft 37 extending through a dividing wall means 38. The blower is adapted to induce a vacuum in the air chest or compartment d3, which serves as a conduit between the platelike member :and the blower intake 23, creating a pressure differential lbetween the outer or label supporting side or surface 40* of the plate-like member and the side facing the compartment 13. The pressure differential, or vacuum, results in an air flow passing through the openings 16 and through the lter 30 and into the intake 23 as indicated by the arrow 42.

A label L placed on the surface dit, printed side down, will be retained there by the vacuum or air flow through the openings 16 and will lbe heated by the plate-like member 15 and associated heating element 20 to a temperature suicient to activate the thermoactivatable adhesive thereon. A package or the like pressed against the activated adhesive will pick up the label which thereby becomes 4firmly and neatly bonded thereto.

The passage of air through the openings 16 of the plate-like member 15 has a heat dissipating or cooling effect thereon which has heretofore required similar devices to employ high wattage or high capacity heaters running, by way of example, at a rate in the order of 750 watts. Such high heater operating values were dictated by the large volume flow of air necessary, previous to this invention, to assure proper retention of the label L on the surface 40, and are relatively costly to replace. The blower 22. and the heat element conveniently receive their electric current from a line cord 45 through a single on-off switch 46, and because the blower stops almost immediately while the heater continues to give u-p heat, a sharp temperature rise is found to occur upon shut down of the device. When operated at substantially their full capacity, the mentioned temperature rise is damaging to the heater elements and considerably shortens their life.

In the label activator device 10 embodying this invention, the amount of air flow required to properly hold a label is considerably less than heretofore required and it is believed that the filter means acts to diffuse the -air flow and to prevent substantial transverse air flow between the openings 16, thereby making the air flow and pressure conditions in each opening relatively independentV of those of other openings. Therefore, a label L will be retained by a vacuum existing in each of the openings 16 covered thereby without regard to those openings left open. Labels may be retained by the device 10 having the filter means 30 with a substantially smaller volume of air flow than has been possible heretofore, and since the air ilow is smaller `and less cooling to the plate-like member 15 when in normal operation, heating element 20 may be operated at a rate or temperature considerably less than its rated capacity with an attendant increase in the useful life thereof. The extended life of the element 20t may be attributed in part to the `fact that its surface temperature need not be as high as that heretofore required to maintain the plate-like member 15 at its proper temperature and in part to the fact that the element does not normally rise to as high a Itemperature as heretofore experienced upon shutdown of the activating device. The reduction of needed air flow for proper operation has, in addition to lowering the required surface temperature for the element, reduced the wattage requirements fiber, asbestos or other mineral fiber.

for normal operation. For example, activators which have heretofore required 7501 watts for normal operation have ybeen successfully and satisfactorily operated on 450 watts.

The filter means 30 preferably comprises a porous body of heat resistant material which may be either fibrous or flocculant in form, but is preferably formed of glass It may, however, be formed of metal material which will not be adversely affected by the temperatures involved. Being interposed between the heated plate-like member 15 and the blower or squirrel cage fan 22, the filter 3l) serves to trap-dust, paper particles and the like from the air flow and prevents a building up or loading of such foreign matter in the rotor and housing of the blower. This cleaning action of the filter yassures the continual eilicient performance of the blower 22 and prevents a reduction of its suction after periods of operation due to the build-up of dirt and the like on the blower.

Additionally, the filter means 301 has what Ymay be termed a self-cleaning property. It has been found that upon shutdown of the device 10, a rise in temperature occurs stopping the heat dissipating air flow, which will heat the lter material to a temperature sufficient to burn out or consume the dust and other foreign matter trapped therein. The ltertl, being of a heat-resistant ber or the like, maybe subjected to such a temperature without any substantial change in its physical properties and so will continue thereafter to act as a filter and a diffusor.

By way of example, the plate-like member 15 is normallyV maintained at a temperature somewhere in the 200-525 degree range (Fahrenheit). Y

While in the activator Vthat I have constructed, the temperature obtained at shutdown has been sucient to clean the lter, if the temperature rise at shutdown of the device is not suflicient to burn out the foreign matter because of the relatively low wattage operation of the heater element 20, additional current may be supplied to the heater for a short period of time, or the heater maybe operated independently of the blower means to attain a temperature effective to consume the foreign matter. Y

The label activating device 10 may be further provided with an indicator light 49 and an exterior control knob 5t) for adjusting the thermostatic heat control 21. The latter may be adjusted to vary the operating heat within a range suitable for various sizes of label, adhesive material, and the working speed of the operator. VThe electrical connections between the line cord 45, switch 46, light 49, thermostatic unit 21 and the heater element 20' are conventional and understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention relates and need not be further described. v

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail and with reference to a specific label activating device embodying the invention, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but rather the invention includes those adaptations, changes, and modifications as are reasonably embraced by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus `described my invention, I claim:

l. In a label activating device of the character described, a plate-like member presenting a surface on one side thereof for supporting a label to be activated, said plate-like member having a plurality of openings therethrough for passing a flow of air from said one side thereof to the other side thereof in response to air pressure on said one side thereof and relatively lower pressure on said other side thereof, an electrical heating element in engagement with said plate-like member for heating the latter, blower means having an air intake opening, air conduit means connecting said intake opening of said blower means and said plate-like member, said blower means being adapted to lower the pressure on said other side of said plate-like member Vto effect a ow of air through the openings thereof to retain a label on said surface in covering relation to at least part of said openings, and porous material disposed directly against said platelike member between the latter and the blower so that air passed through any of said openings must pass directly into said porous material.

2. A label activating device as defined in claim l and wherein said porous material is adapted to filter `foreign matter from said air ow, and said porous material is disposed in Contact with said other side of said plate-like member Ybetween the openings thereof and is effective to impede the flow of air transversely between said openings whereby said lower pressure is maintained by said blower in the part of said openings covered by said label.

3. A label activating device as defined in claim 2 wherein said porous material comprises a mineral fiber.

4. A label activating device as defined in claim 2 wherein said porous material comprises glass fibers.

5. A label activating device as defined in claim 2 wherein said porous material comprises asbestos fiber.

6. A label activating device comprising a composite plate member presenting a label supporting surface on one side thereof, said plate member including first and second plate portions, heating means secured between said first and second plate portions for heating said plate member, said plate member having a plurality of discrete openings extending therethrough from said one side thereof to the other side thereof, said openings being adapted to be covered by a label when on said surface, blower means having an intake connection, air conducting means connecting said plate member and said intake connection whereby said blower means is Iadapted to draw air through said openings from said one side to said other side thereof for inducing a vacuum in those openings which become covered by a label on said surface, and a body of air diffusing and filtering material disposed in contact with said other side of said plate member in covering relation thereto and extending across said openings, said diffusing and filtering material adapted thereby to impede the flow of air through each of said openings which remain free of covering by a label, thereby permitting a vacuum to be induced in said openings which become covered by a label.

7. A label activating device as defined in claim 6 and wherein said body of diffusing and filtering material is composed of a heat resistant material whereby said material may be heated by said heating means to burn out matter trapped by said material.

8. In a label activating device wherein a perforate member having an outer surface upon which labels are placed to be activated, blower means have the intake thereof connected to said member for providing a flow of air through said member, heating means in engagement with said member for heating the latter to a label activating temperature during operation of the device, said heating means operating at a higher temperature than the surface of said member to provide the gradient necessary to compensate for the cooling effect of said air flow, and the temperature of the member rising substantially upon the stopping of the flow of air through the member, filtering material for filtering the air before it reaches said intake, and means supporting said filtering material in position immediately adjacent said member on the air exit side thereof and in good heat transfer relationship with respect thereto whereby the filtering material is subject to heat from said heating element and upon said rise in temperature upon the stopping of said air flow, the foreign matter in said filtering material is heated to oxidize the foreign matter to clean lthe filtering material.

9. A label activating device comprising first means deiining a plate-like member having openings therethrough, heating means comprising :an electrical heating element in engagement with said member for heating the latter to a tem-perature for activating a label disposed thereon, a blower having an intake connected to one side of said plate-like member to draw air from the other side of said plate-like member through said openings to said one side, temperature regulating means sensitive to the temperature of said heating element for regulating the energization thereof, the air drawn by said blower having a heat dissipating effect requiring increased temperature gradient from said element to the label activating surface to maintain the temperature thereof at activating level and the ambient temperature surrounding said element rising substantially upon the stopping of said blower, filter means for filtering the air drawn into said blower, and means supporting said filter means adjacent and in engagernent with a part of said member and in good heat transfer relationship with respect thereto whereby the temperature of said filter means depends upon the temperature around said element and said element being heated to a suciently high temperature upon the stopping of said air to oxidize foreign material trapped in said filter.

10. In a label activating device, a perforate member having an outer perforate surface upon which labels are placed to be heated, a heating element for said member to heat said surface `to label activating temperature, blower means having an intake connected to the side of said member opposite to said surface to draw air through said surface, and filter means for filtering foreign matter from air passing through said member to said blower means and comprised of a filament-like heat resistant material disposed immediately adjacent and in engagement with a part of said member to provide a good heat transfer relationship between said member and filter means whereby material trapped in said filter means is oxidized by heat from said heating element and member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,453,665 Foll May 1, 1923 2,211,812 Colbert Aug. 20, 1940 2,247,623 Von Hofe July 1, 1941 2,309,885 Carman Feb. 2, 11943 2,495,414 Herrington Jan. 24, 1950 2,529,625 Namenyi-Katz Nov. 14, 1950 2,775,677 Schuetze Dec. 25, 1956 

